July 13, 2014

An annotated directory for myself and other travelers

This list has information as clear as I can find it after the fact, as well as occasional comments about an exceptional or highly recommended place (**). In general, each albergue had its own charm or comfort, and most were managed by people who want to do their best for the stream of peregrinos who come through their doors. There were only one or two exceptions to the warm hospitality I found at each place.

Most had laundry facilities or at least a sink to do hand wash with clothes lines or racks for drying. Some had kitchens and cooking facilities, some served dinner, some did neither. Check out the specific locations or contact me for more details about one or another. There are travel books for all of this, so I won’t write another one. I just wanted to keep track of where I stayed each night.

If the albergue is not designated “Muni”, please assume it was a privately owned albergue. NOTE: I’m sure the personnel changes quickly in some places, but these are the details as I experienced them. Prices should be fairly stable, and most of them are published in John Brierley’s book mentioned many times on this website. I have provided addresses or phone numbers for a few whose info might not be widely available in the books at this point.

Pre-Camino days 1 and 2 – St. Jean Pied de Port – Aubergue de Pelerin – 55 Rue de la Citadelle by Porte St. Jacques. €15, I think, plus extra for breakfast and dinner. Might be wrong about that. The book says €8, but I paid €33 per day for two meals and a bed. Ah, well. Camaraderie around the eating tables; wry, humorous manager, and well located

Camino Day 1 – Kayola, €15, an overflow gite, about 800 meters before Auberge Orisson. Check-in at Auberge Orisson, and you can purchase dinner and breakfast for an additional €31.50. Dinner was delicious. Breakfast consisted of a cereal bowl of coffee, with bread and jam. If I were to do this again, I’d bring my own meat, cheese and croissant breakfast supplies from St. Jean. There’s a little kitchen at Kayola to store those things.

If you eat dinner at Auberge Orisson, don’t you dare ask for a second glass for water or wine. Jean-Jacques got really nasty and his staff had to settle him down. To be completely fair, he finally sort of “made it up” as I was leaving, but it was not a pleasant interchange.

Day 2 – Roncesvalles – old monastery Albergue (municipal) – €6. 110 bunk bed spaces in one room. By the time I got to Roncesvalles, I was so tired I didn’t care where I slept! Good staff there. And you wake up to classical music, albeit at 6:00 a.m.

Day 3 – Zubiri – Albergue El Palo de Avellano – €17 for a “flat bed” in a room with nine spaces. €12 for a delicious dinner. Lots of back yard space for doing laundry and hanging clothes.   NOTE: This is a town with only two private and one municipal albergue. If I hadn’t happened to reserve a bed, I would have found nothing when I arrived, due to some sort of music festival in a nearby area.

Day 4/5 – Pamploma – Rest stop with extra day for me. Pensione Escaray, Novara 24 (this is one I stumbled on via another peregrine as I wandered through Pamploma). €20 per night. Private room. Very nice bathroom down a short hallway, shared by very few other boarders.

Day 6 – Obanos – Albergue Usda – €8. Dinner down the street for €10.

Day 7 – Lorca – La Bodega del Camino €8. Good dinner €10. A restaurant across the street as well. Very nice owners at the Bodega.

**Day 8 – Villa Mayor de Monjardin – brand new albergue aptly named Albergue Villa Mayor de Monjardin. €15? Full kitchen, laundry, very nice bunk rooms with new blankets, electrical plugs all around, etc. Two brothers as owners, I think. A lovely place. Good idea to reserve here. (948-53-71-39)

Day 9 – Torres del Rio – Casa Mari – €7. Kitchen, eating area, patio, terrace.

Day 10 – Navarette – Albergue El Cantaro – €10. No eating facilities, but several restaurants around town.

Day 11 – Najera – Puerta de Najera – €8-10 – kitchen, but this albergue is located just across the bridge into the old Najera, and there are plenty of places to eat near the water. A very helpful family runs the place, with a teenaged daughter who likes to practice her English. Spacious common area, but tight squeeze in the bunk rooms.

Day 12 – Cirueña – Albergue Virgen de Guadalupe – €8. Padric is a strange duck, but he does supply a delicious wholesome one-dish dinner.

**Day 13 – Santo Domingo de la Calzada – Hostal Pedroi – €45, I think – only 4 km from Cirueña, this stop was my second “rest day,” a nice room, surrounded by a variety of restaurants, a “downtown”, etc.

**Day 14 – Viloria de la Rioja – Albergue Acaco y Orietta – €5 plus donativo for home cooked dinner. Drop back into the 60’s in all the delightful ways. Paulo Coehlo is the spiritual godfather ”padrino” of this albergue.   A very peaceful place.

**Day 15 – Villa Franca Montes de Oca – San Anton Abad – €8. The owner of this hotel was a peregrino and wanted to “give back”, so he built one wing of his lovely hotel as an albergue for pilgrims. The Menu del Dia or Pilgrim’s Menu is a discounted price on the regular hotel meal and the paella was delicious!! Call ahead (as usual) to secure a “baja”. One room of this hostal/albergue is single beds, and the other has bunks.

To be continued . . . Part 2 – Day 16-30, Part 3 – Day 31-49